North's Shelter

Robin Hood & Daphne 2010

2010-10-31T20:38:00.000-06:00

~Pumpkin Patch~

2010-10-22T20:33:00.004-06:00

We had a visitor this week!

2010-10-13T20:31:00.000-06:00

Family Day at the Great Salt Lake ...

2010-09-18T20:17:00.000-06:00

North 2nd Annual Family Reunion

2010-09-11T20:25:00.000-06:00

My Birthday Fishing Trip

2010-08-29T19:49:00.000-06:00

For my 31st birthday, my parents took my girls and me fishing up into the Uintah's!

My Birthday Surprise from Ms Kinsley!

2010-08-25T19:46:00.002-06:00

Daniel & Candace's Wedding!

2010-08-10T20:07:00.000-06:00

They finally decided to tie the knot! Here are a few of the pictures from their most memorable day!

2010-08-06T19:45:00.000-06:00

"Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world."

2010-08-04T19:44:00.000-06:00

‎"Let me be all that I can be,
Don't smother me with negativity.
Whatever's out there waiting for me,
I'm going to faced it willingly ...
I've got a right to be wrong,
...So just leave me alone!"
--Joss Stone

2010-08-03T19:42:00.000-06:00

"Your inner circle, those who are closest to you, should be people who celebrate who you are; people who are happy when you succeed. They should be people who believe the very best in you. Remember, it's not the quantity of friends that is important, it's the quality of friends!"

2010-01-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

‎~~~To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.~~~ (Confucius)

2010-01-09T19:34:00.003-07:00

‎~ There are those among us who are blessed with the power to save what is loved by another, but powerless to use this blessing for love themselves. ~ (Alicia Keys)

Christmas Eve ... My favorite Christmas Celebration!

2009-12-24T00:16:00.000-07:00

Ever since I can remember we have celebrated Christmas Eve at my grandmother's house. When I was younger we dressed up really nice, and would have everyone in the family come over around 4 or 5 and the adults would all prepare Christmas dinner while us kids played. My grandfather would light what I call a "magical" fire and about cinch all of our eyebrows off that were close enough to it, or should I say even in the vicinity of the fireplace! My grandma would have many different types of cookies made, and my mom and aunts would be preparing the sides and main dishes. We then had a table set up with homemade eggnog on it, one big bowl for the adults that had a "special" ingredient in it, and one for us kids that just had lots of whip cream on the top for us!

We would have a big formal dinner and afterwards we would all go sit in the living room and wait to hear the clanking and jingling of Santa arriving! (This was usually my uncle I found out later on!) Santa would have one present for each of us (including the adults) and we would open our presents, say good bye to Santa and then continue opening all of our gifts from each other. Then late that night we would have our dessert and head home.

Out of every memory I have of my childhood, I remember Christmas Eve's the best. Over the years things have changed. A lot of our family has gone their separate ways and many have moved away or have started their own family traditions. When I try to explain these nights to my husband or even my children they look at me as if I am crazy.

So here is to my childhood memories and I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve!

~People Completely Miss The Meaning of Christmas~

2009-12-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

~Whether you believe in Christmas as a celebration of Christ’s birth or whether you celebrate it as a secular holiday, I think most people agree that Christmas is about giving. Santa is based on St. Nicholas, who was said to have given many secret gifts to those around him.

Christmas isn’t a time to “get through.” It’s not a time to be rude to others, so you can get your parking spot, space in the checkout line, or trinket first. It’s not a time to buy loads of meaningless junk, just so you can say you gave a gift.

It’s a time to reflect on all you have…relationships, health, salvation. It’s a time to show kindness to our friends and neighbors. It’s a time to give to those who are less fortunate.

What has come over us as a country? Even during Christmas it seems that things are more important than people. Instead of looking out for our fellow man, we look out for number one. Instead of stopping to appreciate all that we have, we long for all that we don’t.

Please stop. Take a breath. For this week slow down and take time to appreciate all that you have.

~Happy Birthday Abigail~

2009-12-20T23:59:00.000-07:00

~Seven years ago I suddenly became someone different. It happened overnight, from one instant to the next; my identity altered until I found myself scratching the skin of someone new.

Nine months was plenty of time to assemble my courage and thicken my resolve, but there was no aggregate of minutes that could ever hope to truly prepare me for what waited on the other side of that first quiet cry, bouncing from the tiles of the birthing room.

Becoming a mother transformed me. Every incident before or since can only stand in shadow.

My natural playfulness and undiluted love for life made me a natural for the role, but I had no idea how much motherhood would change me until I had the fierce instinct to protect, clotting my blood alongside an adamant need to nurture.

Abigail made me a mother. She is a remarkable child, and I stand in constant awe of who she is and who she is gradually becoming.~

Happy Thanksgiving~!~!~!~!

2009-11-30T23:53:00.001-07:00

This year we again decided to host Thanksgiving dinner at our house. We had the Maedel's/Ansted's/Mitchell's all in one house! I was very excited because I was cooking the Turkey, and I was trying a new Brine soak. It went off without a hitch, and everyone loved my Turkey! It had been almost a year since I had seen some of the family members, and I just love getting everyone together to talk and just "hang!"

Thanksgiving is about looking your present day in the eye with a smile and saying thank you for the many wonderful things you already have. I was so thankful for the opportunity to provide a great meal for my family and also to see the love that we all share between each other.

Love to you all!

Halloween

2009-10-31T22:03:00.000-06:00

Both girls decided they were going to be Vampires! But Abigail did not want to be a "mean" vampire she wanted to be nice, and Ali wanted to be a "Witch" Vampire. They were so cute together!

Pumpkin Field Trip

2009-10-16T19:37:00.001-06:00

Abigail's 1st grade class. Candace was one of the chaperons!

Abigail's School Carnival

2009-09-29T19:20:00.003-06:00

Abigail's new school "Hawthorn Academy" had a back to school carnival! The kids had a blast even though I didn't win ANY of the gift raffle baskets. Hmmm....

Utah State Fair

2009-09-20T19:04:00.001-06:00

We had a blast at the fair this year! Thanks to Mom, Grandma Jamie, Grandpa Dean, Bryson, Miranda, Daniel, and Candace for going with us!

Dynofest!

2009-09-15T23:30:00.003-06:00

Well after months of hard work, it finally paid off! We had a great success at the 1st Annual KBR/Intermountain Riders Dynofest! We had a little over 90 people there, and it was so much fun. We met a lot of new friends and still hung out with the old.

For those of you who don't know, Dynofest was an event that we (Intermountain Riders) put on. It is where off road vehicles can get their bikes tuned for a fraction of the normal price, we camp for an entire weekend and have games and races that children and adults participate in.

We also had a fundraiser for the Utah Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation where we did a free BBQ for Saturday night and then had a raffle to win amazing prizes! For our 1st time doing this, it turned out AWESOME!

Thanks to everyone who came, and for everyone's help! Without each person, it would not have been such a success!

Next year I want to see all of you there too! (If you go to the website, there are TONS of pictures and videos of all of us out there! Watch the barrel races, and you will laugh like no other! haha)

Abigail's 1st day of 1st Grade!

2009-08-31T15:29:00.000-06:00

Abigail started a new school today! Hawthorn Academy which is a charter school that specializes in the IB program. I was so nervous and she was too. I dropped her off and then had to leave which is so different from the Montessori that she has gone to since she was 18 months old. :(

I cried the whole way out of the parking lot and called Melvin just bawling. He of course was laughing that I was crying....

When I picked her up, she was the happiest kid on earth, she loves the kids, her teacher, and everything possible about the school! (What a relief!)

Happy 30th Birthday for me!

2009-08-26T15:14:00.002-06:00

Well as my birthday came up, I got more and more disturbed. I didn't want it to come, and I definitely was not happy about turning 30. This now puts me out of the 20 something's and into the dreaded 30.

Months before we had been planning a BIG birthday bash for me, Misty (cousin), and Melvin since we are all turning 30, but two months prior I decided to cancel it. I was feeling like it might not be a very good to thing to have a birthday bash, if I could not even accept it. So as the days counted down, I got more sad, and then I started getting aggravated. Every time that someone would say something about it, it was like they were stabbing me right in the pit of my stomach. I have never felt this way about a birthday, and most I don't even care at all, but for some reason this one was a sore spot.

I worked yesterday all day, and then at night I had to leave to go run some errands, and when I came back, the girls, Candace, and Daniel had decorated the whole house in black over-the-hill decorations and had a cake for me!

Overall it was a fun day, and I don't feel any different yet!

"Utah" Ansted Family Reunion!

2009-08-04T17:24:00.000-06:00

My Grandpa John and Grandma Sharon come out every summer to visit all of us kids, grand kids, and great grand kids! Here are pictures from our BBQ at Jill's house!

I love you so much Grandpa!

2009-07-18T23:19:00.004-06:00

Tonight at 10:00 p.m. my grandfather died. As I sit here with tears streaming down my face, I think about everything he meant to me. I loved him so much!

He was one of those perfect "old men." He was always right, and when he wasn't, he was sure to give you a run for your money! We went through a lot together, him and I. There are so many memories that it would take me years to list them all, but the one's I remember the most are the best of all!

When I was 14 he took me to my first concert, Lyle Lovett up in Park City. It was just me, him, and my grandma. It was one of the best times I have ever had. Even though I was a teenager and didn't appreciate it at the time, I am so glad I got to go. We sat on the grass, ate dinner and listened to his lovely voice play all night.

Every Christmas and Thanksgiving he would start the fire in their house. His way to start a fire was to soak the wood in paint thinner and then throw a match on it. It would have a huge flame come out and you could feel the heat wave across the whole room. As kids we LOVED it, but when I got older, I just made sure that I was WAY out of the way!

Now this is a funny one! When I was 18 years old, I had started to put back on some weight that I had lost the summer before. He came over to my house, and without skipping a beat, he said, "God you are getting fat!" I was so pissed at the time and I just yelled at him to shut up, but over the years, I laughed about it, because that was just his nature! He was so brutally honest that I learned all you can do is laugh all of his comments off!

He taught me how to sail all through my teenage years. I am not that good, but he sure did try to teach everything to me about how it should be.

He always rubbed it in that I was educated through Park City, so of course I must horrible at English and Math! Boy did he hate them!

He used to help me ride and feed their horses when I was younger. We used to have these buckets that we filled the oats with, and they would let Peaches and Jupiter graze out in the field all day, and when we wanted them to come back into the corral for the night, we would shake the barrel of oats and they would come running. Well he had me do this, but he forgot to tell me that once I shook the bucket, I needed to run to the gate so that they would actually go IN the gate! Well they came running towards me and wouldn't stop. (Of course not, why would they stop when I had their food!) I dropped the buckets started screaming and ran, but when I turned around, they were not with me. They were smart, they stopped with the oats while I ran! LOL He laughed at that one for weeks and teased me about it any time that he saw me!

Since the day he met Melvin, he never called him by his name. To him Melvin was "Mork" and it stuck as his name forever! He loved getting a rial out of everyone!

As he grew older, he definitely grew softer with me. He always wanted to make sure that I was okay since "that baby" was hard on me. He loved Abigail so much. Every time he saw her he just smiled.

When it got bad, it got real bad. He got really testy with my grandma, and for a year it was a come and go situation. He was really sick and in a lot of pain most of the time, but he loved being able to see his dogs every day and he had a gorgeous view to look. What better way to go!

I will miss him dearly, but I am so grateful that he is out of pain once and for all. He led such a wonderful life and was able to do so much. Him and my grandma went to Mexico almost every year and the drove their motor home to stay for a month up until a couple of years ago when they started flying because of his health. I am so glad that he was able to dance his last dance at his wife's (my grandma's) 70th birthday party.

I finally can accept comments!

2009-07-10T00:21:00.001-06:00

So after about 6 months of not being able to accept comments on my blog, the IT department got back to me with a solution! It had to do with my widgets coding??? Whatever works I guess! But I am finally excited now!

So now you all can leave whatever comments you want (nice and friendly of course!!!)

Stadium Of Fire

2009-07-05T01:03:00.000-06:00

Candace took Ali and Abby to the Stadium of Fire show this year. It was Ali's birthday present. They had the Jonas Brothers and SheDaisy's playing and then an awesome fireworks show after!

They absolutely loved it, and arrived home well after 1:00 a.m. The girls are still talking about it!

Thanks Candace!

Millcreek Lion's Club 4th of July Carnival

2009-07-05T00:36:00.000-06:00

Our friends Bryson and Miranda help run the Milcreek Lion's Club Carnival for the 4th of July, and this year Daniel and I were privileged enough to be able to help with it. Bryson's family has been doing this since before he was born, and he has kept the tradition going by now becoming a member himself. They donate the money to help people get eye glasses when they cannot afford them. It is really a neat cause and words do not do justice for this miracle that they provide to others.

We got there at 7:00 a.m. (with a LARGE Chi of course!) and started helping set up. We were organizing all the games for the kids, sorting prizes, etc. It was fun just to be there and see it all coming together. Miranda had wanted to do the "cotton candy" machine, so I was going to be in the food booth with her, but they had too many people in that area, so we decided to do "POND FISHING." This is where the child casts the fishing pole over the "water" and then on the other side magically a prize appears when the reel it back in!

Candace brought the girls up and they watched the parade, played all the games, got their faces painted, and ate LOTS of candy! The only downfall was that I wasn't able to do it all with them. I love to see the smiles on their faces and it was sad to watch them leave for the day without me.

All in all, it was very fun and I laughed a lot watching the younger children get so excited about what prizes they got! I even had a kid come back over 5 times and every time, it was "just what he had always wanted!"

It was a long and tiring day, but I was glad to be part of something that helps others!

Night at home with the Girls!

2009-07-04T00:31:00.001-06:00

Melvin out of town......Daniel and Candace out on a "date night"........and the girls and I home alone with nothing better to do than go get Chinese take-out and watch the movie "Coraline!"

It was the best! There was no fighting between the girls, and I was able to sit back on the couch with them and actually enjoy the movie! Now this is heaven!

TRANSFORMERS!

2009-06-28T03:01:00.004-06:00

Okay, so I am a Transformer freak! When I was a kid, Daniel and I watched it every day before my mom took us to daycare and I just love it. Well when the first one came out I couldn't get anyone to go with me, so I went BY MYSELF! I still remember it as if it were yesterday! My brother-in-law Tony was having his bachelor party at my house, and my girls were with my mom. So I just got in the car and away I went!

Well I have been moping around since Wednesday pouting to Melvin because I wanted to see the second one NOW! So last night he took the girls and me on a "movie date!" And of course it was "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

I was so excited I could hardly contain myself! We met up with our friends Bryson and Miranda and even though we had to get 2nd row seat (they were completely booked) I still enjoyed it immensely!

Thanks honey to the best family "date night" we have had in a long time!

Happy Fathers Day Daddy!

2009-06-21T03:23:00.000-06:00

Melvin,

We love you and we hope that you have a wonderful time fishing in your new pontoon boat!
And to all the other father's out there, have a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday Ali and Daniel!

2009-06-21T02:50:00.001-06:00

Tonight we celebrated Ali turning 15 and Daniel turning (well we won't mention his age!)
We had all of our family and friends over for a BBQ! It was so nice to have everyone there to support Ali! She really had a great time, and slept in until noon today!

I think her favorite part of the whole night was her getting "Jonas Brothers" tickets to the Stadium of Fire show on the 4th of July. She screamed so loud that I still hear ringing noises in my ears! (Thanks Candace, and have fun at that concert! Take ear muffs!)

Oquirrh Mountain Temple

2009-06-20T02:27:00.001-06:00

(Oquirrh Mountain Temple)

Ali and Abigail for months have watched the building of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. We are not religious people by all means, but the girls were very interested in going to it and wanting to learn more about why it was such a big deal for this Temple.

Who better to ask then our friends, Bryson and Miranda! They are very involved in their church and knew more about it then I would have ever been able to research about. So Miranda was very helpful and took the girls, Daniel, and me with them to the open house. We arrived and it was absolutely stunning! My favorite part was that a couple days before the "Angel Moroni" which is on the top, had been struck by lightening. I was so fascinated by him. I thought that it was so beautiful to see the charred arm and horn and to me it showed the meaning and hardships of life. I wished they would leave him that way, but unfortunately they are going to take him down and repair him back to perfection!

(Angel Moroni)

We watched a short video on the temple and then were escorted inside on a "silent journey." Well for us it wasn't so silent! Daniel and I were asking poor Bryson and Miranda so many questions as to why they do things, and what everything meant.

(Celestial Room)

(Baptism)

I learned alot about the temples and what they mean to their members. It was one of the most beautiful buildings that I have ever seen, and the inside was even more mesmorizing!

Thank you again for allowing us to join you on this wonderful learning lesson for us!

Abby Made It!

2009-06-14T02:08:00.002-06:00

Abigail is now officially a member of the Colette's Dance Competition Team the "Tiny Xcells!"

She made the final 12 girls! Congrats Abby....we are SO proud of you!

Abigail's Dance Team Audition...

2009-06-11T01:58:00.001-06:00

Abigail had her 1st dance team audition. It was an hour long and there were about 30 girls there. She was trying out for the Jazz Dance Team. She will be in competitions here in Utah and around the surrounding states if she makes it. They will post results on Sunday night!

Good news though, she told me that this was the BEST dance class she had ever been too! (She didn't really even realize that it was a tryout!)

We will post more when we find out!

North Family Photo Day!

2009-06-07T01:52:00.003-06:00

I was on the hunt with my camera to FINALLY try and get some pictures of Melvin's side of the family! As you can see, they were not very happy! LOL

Grandma Judy's 70th SURPRISE Birthday Party!

2009-06-07T01:46:00.000-06:00

Today was my Grandma's 70th birthday! We went to my aunts house and surprised my grandma with our family and some of her life long friends! It was nice to see her happy and excited to see all of us!

Kennecott Copper Mine

2009-06-06T21:07:00.003-06:00

Pictures from our day trip up to Kennecott Copper Mine today. It has changed so much since I was up there last. Guess that's what 14 years does to a place!

Walking the Jordan River Parkway!

2009-06-06T19:26:00.004-06:00

Today I took the kids on the Jordan River Parkway........Daniel and I walked while Ali rode her scooter and Ali rode her bike. It was a blast, but I decided that I need to ride my bike now to keep up with them. Speed walking doesn't work like it did last year!

While walking we saw a ton of duck and most of them had babies with them also! It was so fun to watch the momma's try to round all the little chicks up into one area!

And Abby also had her first fall off her bike. She was going so fast and didn't realize that there was a slope around the bend and went right into the bushes and off the bike she went. I couldn't help but giggle because Daniel and I had just talked about how she needed to have a real fall.

All in all it was fun and exhausting. We are going to start going at least 4 times a week!

PINK HAIR

2009-06-04T23:38:00.001-06:00

Abby and her hair stylist, Alicia, finally talked me into letting Abby get PINK highlights. NOW I want you to know that under any other circumstance I would have said no, and not only no, but HELL NO! But Alicia assured me that they would be gone in about two months. Whew!

I have never seen a girl so ecstatic for this though, and believe it or not, Ali is going in for RED highlights next week. Have I lost my mind?????

Ali Awards Ceremony

2009-06-04T23:36:00.001-06:00

Ali had an awards ceremony at school today! She was so excited when we showed up to watch her receive her awards, and was even more excited when she saw Grandma Jamie! It was a surprise and she didn't know that she would be there!

She got an award for "Best Typing" in computer class, and then "Most Improved" in math class!

Nice Job Ali!!!!!!! We are SO proud of you!

Abigail Year End Revue!

2009-05-29T23:21:00.001-06:00

Well unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to Abigail's last dance recital of the year. But she had a great crowd with her.

Her Aunt Candace took her to get her hair done, and then she put her make-up on. She was greeted with flowers by both Daddy and Ali to finish off the night! She is now trying out for a Jazz dance competition group in June!

Congrats Abigail on a wonderful dance year!

Here is a little clip of her daydreaming after her performances....she couldn't even look towards Daniel because she was too fixated on all the other people! LOL

Melvin's "project"

2009-05-27T23:31:00.000-06:00

For the past couple of month's, Melvin has been working on this "project" of his, and I am finally excited to announce that it is complete!

Before:
After:

FINALLY! Our garage is almost back to normal!

Memorial Weekend at the Dunes

2009-05-26T23:07:00.000-06:00

We had all of our family cancel out on us for going to the dunes, so we were planning to NOT go. Then we got a phone call from one of our friends and he told us to just go out and camp with their group! So we went, and WHAT A BLAST IT WAS! We had over 70 people camped with just our group, and I met a lot of cool people that I can tell are now going to be very good friends! This was probably my MOST favorite dune trip EVER!

Thanks Kam and Marty for letting us join your group and feeling very welcome, we loved you guys and ALL of your family!

Delta 300 Drags (Memorial Weekend)

2009-05-25T23:12:00.000-06:00

Melvin raced in his first ATV drag races! He came in 4th out of 4 in his class, but he had the fastest overall time in his class! He even got to race a sandcar and WON!

It was a great accomplishment for him, and we also had fun watching all of our friends race! The next races, we are all going to race as a family: Melvin, me, Ali, and Abby! I can't wait to see the girls experience this, it will be such an eye opener for them to actually participate!

I put all the videos on Youtube if you want to check them out, go under stormyjunior as author, or Delta 300 Drags as title!

Backyard getting close! Woohoo!

2009-05-24T23:25:00.000-06:00

We have been talking about extending the side of the house all the way back and making it a HUGE RV pad. Well, it finally happened! While we were at the dunes for Memorial weekend, Daniel was at home working his butt off. And now we have a awesome looking RV pad for the moment and are also almost finished with the fire pit we are putting in!

Thank you Daniel and so sorry that we couldn't be there. But trust me, I think it was probably for the better to have the girls AND the dogs gone for you!

Rocky Mountain Raceway

2009-05-17T22:34:00.001-06:00

Well it's been awhile since we have been to the races. I want to say about 2 years. So Melvin got tickets for the girls and I because he was going out of town for the "guys weekend!"

We decided to take a couple of our family members with us (Jeremy and Destry). It was a lot of fun and the girls had a blast picking out different drivers that they wanted to win.

Thanks Jeremy and Destry for a night FULL of fun!

Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T21:52:00.004-06:00

I love holidays with my kids! They are always so excited even if it isn't for them! For Mother's Day, they "tried" to wake up early to make me breakfast with Aunt Candace, but I had woken up at 5:00 a.m. and wasn't feeling well, so I was already up. Since I seemed to ruin their plans, they didn't fret, they just then got me a glass of Orange Juice and 2 Tylenol! That was my breakfast! It was so sweet and they were just as happy to do that as to make a whole breakfast!

I had homemade cards from both girls, plus store bought ones that they had written their own sentiments in. Melvin also got me a card, and it made me cry because it was the perfect card. On the front it said, "When we first became parents, I didn't know how our lives would turn out, but I did know that you were the on I loved, the one I wanted to raise a family with....." and then I opened it.... "Our life has changed so much since we first became parents, but in one way, it hasn't changed at all- you're still the one I love....and you always will be!" with his own feelings written in it of course!

The best thing was that this was the FIRST time ever that I have been totally surprised by what I was getting. I got a Fly fishing pole, rod, line, and a nice case to store it in! Now all I need to do is fish, fish, fish!

Then it was off to my mom's house we went. We had lunch with the whole family and just hung out, slept on the patio swing, and just relaxed all afternoon!

We came home and then had Melvin's family over for a BBQ. It was really nice, all the kids were playing outside having a blast, and all of us adults stayed outside also. It all went smooth and it was exciting to see everyone happy!

Happy Mother's Day to ALL!!!

Treehouse Make-over!

2009-05-09T22:09:00.001-06:00

We decided to strip our tree house and give it a fresh new look!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The girls even got to paint the inside by themselves! They painted a sun, clouds, sky, butterflies, and dragonflies. It is now their own perfect tree house!

Dinner with "childhood" friends...

2009-05-09T00:59:00.000-06:00

Since I started Facebook, I have been in contact with a lot of people from my past. But most recently I came into contact with three of my oldest childhood friends. We were friends from when our ages were in the single digits!

For a week now, I was worried about: Whether we would connect or not? What would happen if we didn't like each other anymore? Or worst, what if none of us had anything in common now that we were older?

Boy was I in for a surprise! I got there with my two girls, and Jessica was the same as I remembered! Bright, bubbly, and just very happy! I was so excited to see her acting just the way we always had....it was like there had been no time laps in our friendship. We talked for awhile and I introduced her to the girls (who by the way, loved her! She let them watch "Bedtime Stories.")

Then Becky and Christy arrived! Instantly I knew they were the same two girls that I grew up with! Becky left her daughter at home, so I didn't meet her....and Christy left her oldest son at home, but brought her baby boy! He was HUGE! What gorgeous kids they have! We ate dinner, looked through wedding albums, gave our life stories and told of how they all came about....and then low and behold it was 11:00 p.m.

Where had our time gone? Five hours seemed like five minutes! I was so sad that it had to end, I could have stayed there all night talking. I just think it is amazing at how true friendship can be brought back together after 12 years of silence! And the funniest part, is that we all live with in a mile radius of each other! Hopefully we are all going to try and meet at least once a month and have our family outings!

But just to see them again and know that we are all doing well in our lives was the perfect ending to a great night!

Movie Date with the Girls

2009-05-03T21:48:00.001-06:00

So I was supposed to be out of town, and Candace was going to take the girls to see "Hannah Montana" since I can't stand the TV show!

But as luck would have it, my plans were canceled, so I went with them! It was actually quite a cute movie, and it was fun just hangin' with the girls!

We will definitely have to do it more often!

My Garden...

2009-04-29T22:21:00.000-06:00

This year I am in charge of the garden since Candace is busy with school. I have planted: cucumbers, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, 4 types of tomatoes, brussels sprouts, leeks, radishes, carrots, and corn.

Hopefully it all tastes as good as it's looking!

SUPERCROSS in SLC!!!

2009-04-26T21:37:00.000-06:00

What an AMAZING race it was! We weren't sure we were going to be able to make it, but at the last minute, we bought tickets and all of us (as a family) went. We met some friends up at the PIE by the University and had dinner, and then off to the wonderful race we went.

Go Stewart is all we could YELL!!! He is such a great racer and Ali has decided that she has a personal connection to him. He kicked butt against Chad Reed! (Thank goodness!) It rained almost the whole time, but that made it even more exciting....

What a great "family" night it was!

Daniel's 1st Desert Race...

2009-04-19T14:38:00.000-06:00

Daniel decided that he was going to start racing quads. He had been excited about for weeks, and that's all I ever heard from him! Well he named me his "Pit Crew" yeah right, because like I know what to do! LOL

Well we got up early, got the girls ready, and headed out to Knoll's. For those who don't know where that is.....it is almost to Wendover! When we arrived, it was packed! I had never seen so many bikes in one place. He went and got registered and then off to racing it was! I was really nervous for him because I didn't know exactly what I was supposed to do when he came into pit, and I didn't want to screw it up for him.

Well he came in 4th out of the quads and also beat half of the dirt bikes, which was pretty exciting because there were over 30 quads, and over 200 dirt bikes.

Needless to say, he is now hooked and wants to do every race! And the most exciting part of all of it, is that I decided that I will race next year! Oh boy that should be interesting!!!! haha

Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T13:08:00.000-06:00

Well we made our annual "Easter" trip down to Little Sahara again!

It started off worrisome as we were supposed to leave at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday night, but didn't actually leave until 6:45 p.m. (Not good) And then it was raining and snowing on our drive through Tooele. But once we passed Dugway, it was just cloudy. (Whew)

We got down there about 9:00 p.m. and our friends Brandy and Andy were already there set up and waiting for us. Andy helped Melvin level the 5th wheel, and I had the luxury of setting up everything....oh the joys of camping! Both girls had fallen asleep on the drive down, so I had them go right to bed. We then stayed up at the fire visiting for a couple hours.

The next morning was great! I woke up and the whole sky was sunny, not a cloud in site, but it was a little chilly. The girls couldn't wait to get on their bikes and ride, they were so patient as we put all the flags on and unloaded them all of the trailers. It was nice to see them so happy and "free". They didn't have a care in the world and were only worried about their "sand castles and bikes!" The girls were so content with it just being us and our friends. There was no fighting between cousins and not even any fighting between each other!

On Friday some friends of ours showed up for the day, and that was exciting for Melvin. He was able to ride with the "big boys" and not us pansy girls for awhile! Daniel, Candace, and Willis made it down that night, and then so did some other in our group. The girls were so excited to see them, especially Abby. Her FAVORITE riding partner is Daniel, he makes funny noises every time they go over a jump and she just laughs and laughs.

On Saturday it rained most of the day, so instead of us dying our Easter eggs outside, we did it in the trailer. What a mess that was! Because I had assumed we were going to do it outside, I had bought sandblast, Tye dye, and glitter egg kits. (I still don't think I have all of it out of the trailer yet!)

On Sunday morning, I woke up early and started hiding eggs. Ali decided that she would give all the other kids a couple minute head start! Thank goodness or she would have had all of the 400 eggs! Abby still doesn't realize that you have to RUN when you see an egg, or someone else will grab it! Then the Easter bunny had left each girl a basket outside on the rug. After the egg hunt was over, both girls went in and broke open each egg to see what was inside of them. OMG there were $5.00 bills in a couple of eggs!!! That was the highlight of the day!

Sunday afternoon, we just hung around camp most of the day and more friends and family came down, it was quite packed, we ended up having 30 people in our camp by Sunday. And by the end of the day, Ali was kicking butt on the 4-wheelers and even on the dirt bike! She is going to be a prodigy of Daniel and Melvin, I can see it already! ALL but Andy's family and our family left Sunday night, so Monday was as calm as could be, and it was SO gorgeous and warm. We left Monday afternoon to come home early. Melvin decided that he needed a day to rest before going back to work on Wednesday!

I will have to say, this was the BEST Little Sahara trip that I have EVER had! I can't wait to do it again for Memorial Day! We are inviting ALL if anyone wants to come!

Abigail's Spring Recital

2009-04-01T12:12:00.000-06:00

Last night Abigail had her 1st Spring Recital. She was so excited. We went and had her hair done at the salon, and then we put LOTS of make up on! She loved it. This is her 1st year in dance, and she has been taking a combo class of ballet/tap/jazz.

After her performance, we stayed to watch the others. She was so excited when the 'hip hop' class came up, and told me that was what she wanted to do. I am still hesitant about it, but Melvin said that we should let her try it. (So maybe when she is 18 she can take it!)

My last day in Hawaii

2009-03-10T04:47:00.000-06:00

Well as I am sitting here on the airplane, I am thinking to myself, "Where the hell did my time go?" I didn't have enough time here, and I didn't get to do half of what I wanted to do. (Because I was sick, not because of lack there of.) And I then am pondering, do I take Tony and Melissa up on their offer to come back, or do I keep to land where I am safe? There are so many emotions/feelings running through me: sadness (I worry about Tony leaving), excitement(I have missed my kids and husband), nausea(the plane is killing me), complete exhaustion(this sinus infection is wearing me down), frustration(wishing for more time). I had a great trip, and would love to do it again, but would like for my whole family to come, not just me. Was I selfish in thinking that I really needed a break from my family, or was it needed alone time? So many questions, and not enough answers....I sit here on my 7 hour flight with not a soul around me, the seats on both sides and behind me are empty, I listen to my ipod and start thinking about what all the meanings of each song mean to me? So because I cannot sleep on this plane, I start to write about my last day!

Melissa and I both woke up early since Tony had to be at work by 7:00 a.m. We showered and headed off to the Dole Plantation. Once there, we ate a late breakfast of chili cheese fries that were way too big to finish. And then took the train ride tour of the plantation. It was so cold and the rain was just pounding down on us. The tour was interesting in telling us about how the plantation came about, but was boring in the sense that there wasn't much to see except fields of pineapple! haha

Once off the train, we went to our next tour of the Gardens they had. This was a garden full of all the different tropical flowers. I was amazed at how many different flowers there were! I took tons of pictures and figured that I would someday be able to use them for something! We then shopped in the store they had, and off to North Shore we went.

It was about 20 minutes North of the plantation, and this is where I saw the true, original Hawaii. This is the Hawaii that you dream about. There were fields of different fruit everywhere on both sides of you, and there were small Podunk towns along the way. Once we reached North Shore, I fell in love all over again. The waves were so gorgeous and gigantic. They were just crushing into the shore. We stopped and got out at a couple of the beaches and just watched the huge waves crest and come down, and then bigger ones would follow. It was so relaxing and calming to just watch them come in and disappear, and then the same thing over and over....then we saw the turtles. These turtles were 4 times the size of the turtle that I saw swimming in Hanauma Bay. Once we left that beach, we drove down the coast line until we pulled over at one of the shrimp farms for lunch. I am telling you, if you go, go to one of these because they had the best and biggest shrimp I have ever had! And the price was pretty inexpensive! We then started driving down the coast again and stopped at a local beach that tourist/visitors don't go to. We walked out, and the lifeguard said that any visitors were not allowed within 30 feet of the water, it was locals only. It sucked, but watching the waves come in and slam those surfers into the water and pound them into the sand, I was glad I wasn't close!

We drove down to the Polynesian Cultural Center. I was a little disappointed at this. We went to see each of the villages that we missed on Saturday night, and I just wasn't impressed. It was talked up a lot more than I thought it should have been.

We were there for the rest of the afternoon, and I even toured the BYU Campus and also the LDS Temple! They were both beautiful as most of the temples are. They spend so much time to make them perfect.

Well we left there, and drove back home for me to pack. Tony was going to take me to the airport, but his platoon had got into some trouble so they had to stay at work. I felt bad for him because he had been there since 7 am, but what do you do?

I managed to make everything fit into my suitcases, and as we were leaving, the TV said that there was a big Tropical Storm coming through and that roads were flooded out all over the island. But we made it to the airport, I took my medicine plus Tylenol PM's hoping I would sleep the ride home, but it never happened!

So, that was my trip. I loved it, and even though I was sick I still had a blast. I was grateful to see Tony before he is deployed again, and it was exciting to meet Melissa! I think that my next trip needs to be a "driving" trip to somewhere where my feet will stay on land!

First time Snorkeling!

2009-03-09T22:42:00.000-06:00

Well after a late wake-up yesterday, Melissa and I finally made it to Hanauma Bay. it was cloudy, windy, and the ocean looked really choppy. We drove down on the south side of the beach, and it was beautiful. We weren't sure if we were going to even be able to snorkel once we got there, but we were going for it anyway. Once we got there, the weather was really nice at the bay. We had to watch a short movie on what not to do, and then it was off to rent our gear.

We got in the water, and I thought "this should be easy!" Yeah, I was so wrong about that! I had the hardest time learning to breathe through it, I would get claustrophobic just putting my head down and trying to breathe, so we went to the front area where we could stand up, and I would just walk a little and put my head down, walk a little further and put my head in. After about a 1/2 hour of doing that, I was able to breathe through it, so we headed further out and I was able to swim for about 3 minutes without even bringing my head up! Whoohoo!!!! So as we started heading out, a lady started yelling at us, "Turtle, turtle!" So I followed her to where she said that the turtle was, and holy cow, she was right! It was just swimming about an arms length away from me. I was so excited that I actually saw something bigger than fish! Not that they weren't neat to see, but I wanted to see something BIG, and boy did I!

We swam around for about another 1/2 hour, and then we decided to leave. Both Melissa and I were still exhausted from the night before and from being sick. We headed home, both showered, and then off to Dave & Busters we went.

They had invited another couple to come along, and it was fun. Dave & Busters is like a chucky cheese for adults as Melissa says. You have to be 21 to get in, and if you are not, you have to have someone over the age of 25 there to sponsor you! Luckily I was. It was a blast, I played Skee Ball, Pac Man, Nascar, Deal or No Deal.....I felt like a kid again! When we left, Tony had me drive home with him in his car. He decided that since Melissa had to take the others back to the base, that we would drive the long way home. It was nice to get to visit with him on the drive, and when we drove through the tunnel, he had the car going 137 mph. Whew that was scary, what an adrenaline rush! He was so excited that he got his car fixed and was just aching to drive it before he left! Well we got home, and again crashed, we were so tired and Tony had to go back to work in the morning, and Melissa and I had a HUGE last day planned, so off to bed we went!

Polynesian Cultural Center

2009-03-08T12:39:00.000-06:00

So Saturday night we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center. It was an hours drive from Tony and Melissa's house. It is supposed to be the "best lu'au" of all Hawaii! Well it had rained horribly all day, so we were worried that it would be a bad night up on the North side of the island where it is located. As we arrived, it was raining so hard, that it was flooding the parking lot. We had paid for all day tickets, but because we went on the submarine ride earlier that day, we didn't make it up there until 4:45 p.m. and the lu'au started at 5:00 p.m. That meant that we wouldn't be able to visit ANY of the seven villages that they had. It was kind of depressing to think that I wouldn't see any of them, but then the lady at the ticket counter informed us that we would be able to come back for free within three days! YAY!!!

So we went to our lu'au, and I was so excited as I have never been to one before. When we were walking in they greeted us at the entrance and put handmade, fresh flower lei's on each of us. They were so pretty and smelled great! They then took our picture and led us to our dinner seats. Once we were at our table, they offered us smoothies out of actual pineapples. We each got one, and they were amazing. I don't know what they put in them, but I wish I could make them that good at home! We then watched as the took an actual pig out of the ground that they had cooked. It reminded me of my moms yearly parties that we had when I was younger. She used to have a "Pig Party" for all the neighbors and friends. I wish we still did that sometimes! Then while we were eating, we had a hawaiian band play for us, and then dancers put on performances for us all throughout dinner. They even had little kids dancing, and they are better dancers than most people I know! lol

From dinner, we went to the stage where the night performance of the "Horizons" was about to begin. We had the perfect seats right in the front middle section. We watched as they danced and gave us a story of each of their countries history and culture. We had to join in and shout out sayings as they called on our sections, and the best part for me was when the drummer men came out. They are so fast on their hands with their drums that I couldn't even keep up with my eyes! Before the second half of the show started, I was already dozing off. I was trying so hard to stay awake (this was the worst night I had had so far with the sinus infection). As the show ended, the rain got worse. By the time we got to the car, it was just pounding down on us, and they said that it was the hardest that it had rained in a long, long time.

We started driving home, and Tony was sleeping in the back seat, I was falling asleep in the front seat, and poor Melissa had to drive the 1 hour home with us sleeping. About 20 minutes from the house I woke up in a panic. I was getting nauseous and fast. I asked Melissa to pull over, luckily there was a McDonalds close by. She pulled over, I spent about 10 minutes with my head wrapped around a "public" porcelin god, and then felt much better! ha ha

We made it home, and I immediately collapsed on my bed. I was totally exhausted and just wanted to crash for about 5 days! Well it ended up being for 12 hours! I woke up today at 11:00 a.m. and then we all slowly started getting ready for the day! I feel MUCH better today, no more nauseous feelings, and most of my sinus head pressure is gone! Figures the day before I leave and I start to get better!

I get to go back on Monday and take our tours through the villages, so that is a plus! And today I am going snorkeling at Hanauma Bay and then going to dinner with Tony, Melissa, and their friends. I will post tomorrow on how the rest of the trip goes!

Took a dive on the Atlantis Submarine

2009-03-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

We took a tour on the "Atlantis Submarine" today. It is a submarine that holds about 48 people. The tour starts off by taking you out into the ocean on a ferry boat, and then you meet up with the sub. It was pretty cool because while you are boating out to meet up with the sub, it just pops up out of the ocean right beside our boat! And our group was extra lucky, because we even got to see a whale breech up out of the water.

So as our tour started, I was still sick (this sinus infection is killing me) but there was no way that I was going to miss this! I asked one of the boat captain's where the best place to sit would be for people who don't do well with sea sickness, and his reply was, "Right where you are! Don't get on the boat!" We all laughed about it, and then he told me to go on top of the deck and sit towards the middle. Well since it has been storming the whole time I have been here, the water was pretty rough and was beating the boat around a little. (Not so good for me!) I was sea sick before I even got on the submarine. Tony and Melissa got a kick out of that also, and I think Melissa even kept trying to take pictures of me. (I am sure I was green or pale as all get out!)

Once on the submarine, it was better. Since we were underwater, the sub wasn't being thrown around everywhere, so it was pretty calm. We were able to see coral, many fish that were local to Hawaii only, sea turtles, and then we also saw two sunken shipwrecks, and two sunken airplanes. The fish were amazing! We saw fish that most don't ever get to see because they live so deep, and then we saw sea turtles that were HUGE! Hogle Zoo has nothing on these turtles!

At one point we were 126 ft. below the surface, and then it started, the climb back up......I immediately started getting sick again as we started to the surface. I don't know what it is, but I have decided I am a "LAND ONLY" girl! I am not good at flying and not good out on the ocean! Finally we headed back to land, but I vowed to Melissa that I wasn't doing any more trips or tours than involved being out on a boat. (Which unfortunately meant that I wasn't going on the whale/dolphin watching cruise.) The submarine was such an amazing experience, and the pictures do not do justice to what we all saw! Even though I felt nauseous most of the tour, I would do it again in a heart beat!

Pearl Harbor

2009-03-07T02:42:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Pearl Harbor!

At first I didn't know what to expect, but when I got there I was just amazed. You walk in and very first thing you do is watch a 15 minute video on what/why Pearl Harbor happened. It was so sad....I think I might have even teared up!

Then they took us straight from watching the video to a shuttle boat. We headed directly to the USS Arizona Memorial where they let us get out and view the battle ship that is completely sunk underwater. The memorial building was built directly on top of the vessel, so while we walked through it, you could see the Arizona below under the water. It was sad to think about how many men were killed on this one ship alone. We were told the story about how 80% of the crew were killed in the attack and their bodies still inside the underwater ship, but the ones who survived (now this is the heartbreaking part) asked to be buried with their shipmates once they died. So each time one of the surviving members passed away, they take his body and place it onto the vessel underwater with the others. It was sad to look at the wall and see all the names, you try to think of a face for every name, and it is just impossible to imagine that many killed in one day.

We then took the shuttle boat back to shore where we went on our next tour, the USS Bowfin Submarine. We had to walk up a ramp to get onto the top of the submarine, and then once on the top front of it, we were able to walk down and go inside of the actual submarine! It was really neat to see how the men live on the submarines. The quarters are so tight, and even the entrances were a challenge to get through without hitting you head or stubbing your toes. There were so many amazing things inside of the sub. We saw the torpedos, the bedrooms/bathrooms, the mess halls, the engine rooms and navigation rooms. We were then able to climb the steep stairs back up and were on the top backside of the submarine. They had guns and lookout locations on the top of the sub and we were able to sit in the chairs and act like we were the ones shooting and looking for others! The sub was humungous, I couldn't believe how long it was!

Once off the sub, we took a shuttle bus across the bridge to Ford Island. It is an active military base that houses current military. The USS Missouri and USS Utah and the Aviation Museum are on the island. We didn't get a chance to see USS Utah or the Aviation Museum, but we spent over an hour on the USS Missouri. The battle ship was gigantic. Just walking up to it intimidated me! Before you even get close to it, it has warning signs: "This is over a 1 1/2 mile tour, so please use restroom before boarding ship." All three of us girls laughed and didn't use the restroom. Big mistake for me, 1/2 way through I thought I was going to pee my pants! The ship was amazing, and "everything" on it was huge also. The guns in the front can reach up to 26 miles away. We were even able to go to the very top where the had "lookout" men to watch the oceans! I was very fortunate that while we were on the USS Missouri touring it, the USS Louisville was on it's way home from active duty, so we were able to watch the tugboats tow it into the bay. All the Navy men were standing on the deck in perfect form as it was going by. It is something I only had seen in movies before.

Once we left Pearl Harbor, we headed to the NEX (Navy Exchange). This is a store where the "military only" can go in to shop. I was able to get in because Melissa had her military id on her! I am telling you, I love that store! They had everything from food to clothing to souveniers! And they get it way cheaper than buying from anywhere else! WHOO HOO!

We left the NEX and headed home to meet back up with Tony. We rested for a couple of hours, watched an episode of NCIS, and then off to dinner we went. We decided on the Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki, which is about 30 minutes from Kailua. So we started on our drive and we took the Pali Hwy. It is so beautiful even at night to go through the mountains. It kind of reminds me of scenes from the movie, "Gorilla's in the Mist". It is always raining just a little with the humidity and also the clouds! I loved it!

Once in Waikiki, we parked about 2 miles away from the restaurant and walked down the boulevard. It was a nice walk, but way too many tourists, and yes I know I contributed to it! We waited about 1 hour to be seated. Once in the restaurant, I thought what the hell, and I ordered a strawberry margarita............yeah, big mistake for me! It kicked my ass, I was a gonner just after one! (Now I remember why I don't drink!!!) We ate dinner, walked back to the car, and then headed home.

We were all so exhausted that Tony and Melissa went straight to bed, and I should be on my way there also! I had a great day, and am looking forward to tomorrow also! We are going on the submarine trip and also going to the Polynesian Cultural Center! It should be amazing!

Goodnight ALL!!!!

First day in Hawaii

2009-03-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today I flew to Hawaii to meet my brother-in-law and his wife Melissa! I was very nervous because I don't do well flying..........well let me rephrase that, I do okay flying, but not landing!

So I boarded the plane, and it was a nonstop flight. The turbulence was awful, almost the entire 7 hour plane ride we had to stay in our seats because it was shaking so bad. But thankfully I made it there in one piece! (And I didn't even throw up!)

Once there, Melissa met me and we drove to the marine base, MCBH. That is where Tony is stationed. She took me all through the base and was showing me where all the different ranks lived, all the different bases, and we even drove across the airfield. (They actually let you do that!) It was so different for me to see how they lived on the base, it is it's own city. They could actually live on the base and never have to leave. It has a library, movie theatre, tons of places to eat, 4 different beaches, grocery stores, etc. I would love to live there! lol

Once we were through touring the base, we went to their house. It was really cute! But there is a dog in the backyard that is not too friendly, and when he sees you walking towards the door, he runs and jumps on the fence and barks very meanly at you. :(

We then went to a restaurant right down the road (a lady on the plane suggested it to me) called Mui Kwai. I was told that it was the "best of the best" chinese food, and so since they had not been there either, we all went. We all decided that we would have rather had Panda Express. The meat was very questionable???

We then came home, and talked for a while and Tony was playing Fear 2 on the computer. It is kind of a funny game because you play in the dark, and then things jump out at you. But while he was playing, I kept nodding off (it was 2 a.m. Utah time). So we all decided to go to bed, and out I was!!!

I woke up this morning to the birds chirping, dogs barking, rain sprinkling down, and a sore throat, but all in all it was quite peaceful! No kids, no busy schedule, just me laying there relaxed! And now I am off to a wonderful day at the Pearl Harbor Memorial and then shopping at the NEX (Navy Exchange).

Snowshoeing Pictures!

2009-02-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

Snowshoeing

2009-02-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

My mom had the girls overnight since we went to Miranda's party. And they had decided that they were going to go snowshoeing with the dogs. Well, I got jealous because I wanted to go, so they were nice enough to wait for me! (Thanks Mom!)

Driving up to Park City was gorgeous! There wasn't a cloud in the sky, no smog, it was warm, and the sun was so bright against the snow! I was jamming out in the truck with music from the 90's as loud as I could! It was a nice, calming drive!

I got to my Grandma's house and my mom hadn't arrived with the girls yet, so it was nice to spend a little time with my Grandma! We looked through her computer pictures all the way back to 2002~! (That was a TON of pictures!) Then the girls arrived! My mom made them pizza :( and then my grandma had made them cupcakes :( They were being completely spoiled!

Then it was off on our journey! At first Ali kept falling all the time on purpose. I think she just liked being able to scream and yell. (lol) Abby was a pro at it, because she is so small and doesn't weigh anything, she was able to run at full speed! I took it pretty easy, I was worried that the snowshoes wouldn't hold up to the melting snow....boy was I wrong! My grandma's dogs had a blast! Gypsy kept having us throw her snowballs, but she wouldn't even let us get them in our hands, and she would already try to bite them out, and Heidi (Great Dane) is just a huge baby! She will run right up to you for all the attention, but not realize how big she is, and it almost knocks you over! I love them though, they are awesome dogs!

All in all it was great, and I hope that I can do it again before all the snow melts! Now I just have to buy myself my own pair of snowshoes since the girls have their own!

Miranda's Surprise Birthday Party

2009-02-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

We were invited to our friend Miranda's surprise birthday party this past weekend. Her husband, Bryson, set it all up without her knowledge (I think!! She just might be a good pretender. lol) Anyways he rented his brothers million dollar spec home in Heber for the weekend, and invited about six couples to come stay the night and celebrate with them.

Just driving up to the house in itself was amazing! We saw deer cross the road and hang out in their backyards. It was a really quiet area, so you heard nothing but the nature around you! Once inside, we took a "tour" of the house.....I was in heaven! The master bathroom was bigger than my master bedroom! It had the most beautiful kitchen, and the views from anywhere you looked were great!

We ate dinner (I made lasagna) others brought salad, appetizers, and Candace made an actual "moose" cake seeing as Miranda is in LOVE with moose! It turned out really cute too!

We then played games till about midnight. Melvin and I decided not to stay seeing as he had to work at 6:00 a.m. As we started driving home, Melvin yelled at me to stop.....there was HUGE elk standing right on the side of the road about 30 feet from the house. I so wish that I could live there!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day Part II ........

2009-02-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

So the night went great! We all made our own pizzas. The girls were so specific on what they wanted, it was cute. Abby's is the bottom one, and Ali's is the top one. They are going to be the perfect little chefs when they grow up! Then after all the pizzas were made and we were stuffed, we played "Mouse Trap." I don't remember ever playing Mouse Trap as a kid, but Melvin and Candace sure did! Daniel and I were having to read the directions every turn, and it kind of made the others a little peeved!

It started really good, but then Ali started getting upset as she was not the one winning, so we called it quits at 10:30 p.m. and sent them to bed.

Oh yeah, we also had the chocolate dipped fruit and rice crispies! It was great and the girls thought it was fun to stir the chocolate!

I think I gained 100 lbs. that day between the pizza and all the chocolate......but it was worth it!

Stormy and Junior playing in the snow this morning!

2009-02-14T12:10:00.001-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

2009-02-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Today started out great! I woke up at 6:00 a.m. and was going to make breakfast for Melvin before he went to work. I started to get up, and he told me to lay back down and go to sleep. He said that he would buy breakfast on the way to work so that I could sleep in!!!!!!! It was good because I was so tired from working at the school all week.

I tried hard to fall back asleep, but I heard Abby get up before he left, and she was playing in her room. So I decided that I should just get up with her! I went downstairs to start preparing for my "special" Valentine's breakfast and there on the counter were cards for each of us from Melvin!

Abby was right behind me in coming downstairs, and the minute she saw the cards, she got so excited that she yelled, "It's Thanksgiving!" I had to remind her that it's not Thanksgiving, but Valentine's Day! She then went on to ask when we were making our very special pizzas and chocolate dipped fruit. She wanted to do it now, not wait until our "special" dinner tonight.

I decided to let her help me make the crepes while I cut the strawberries and got out all the toppings. She said, "I am going to be a chef like Candace when I grow up mommy." It was funny and all I could do was laugh, she wants to be just like Candace in everything! (God help me!)

So we made the crepes, woke everyone up, and now we are getting ready for the rest of the day. Ali is going advising with Amanda for the day, and Abby and I are going to go play in the snow!

Tonight all of us are going to make our own homemade pizzas and have fruit dipped in chocolate for dessert! (We even bought a special "heart" fondue pot to put the chocolate in~!) We are then going to play board games tonight before we send the two little ones off to bed!

Happy Valentines Day to all my friends and family, and I hope you have a loving day!

Candace 1st Ice Carving Competition!!!

2009-02-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

So today the girls, Daniel, and I went to watch Candace in her first Ice Carving competition. It was neat to watch how they use the chainsaw's to cut through the ice. It is amazing what the finished product looks like!

There was six people who entered the contest, and Candace placed 3rd. I was excited for her because for it being her first time, she worked her butt off trying to make the penguins look nice.

First place went to the "Coral Fish." Second place went to the "Swan."

Tuscany/Movie Night Out

2009-02-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

So my Mom and Dad gave me a gift certificate to Tuscany's Restaurant. Of course Melvin didn't want to go because he hates fine dining, so I invited Candace (my sister-in-law).

Abigail cried and whined all day about how she wanted to go, and I explained to her that it was a "mommies night out." She has been sick, so that didn't matter to her! Daniel promised that he would take her to get a Wii game so that they could play it while we were gone. That satisfied her for the moment!

So we finally got to Tuscany's and it was amazing. Candace and I could eat like that every day, all day! Sorry boys, we decided that you need better jobs to support this habit! (Over $150.00 a night for just the two of us!) JK It was so gorgeous there, I felt like we were actually in Italy, except for the fact that we had a prom table sitting next to us that was obnoxious. I even told Candace at one point that she should have their wedding there someday!

As we were leaving, of course there had to be a mishap, and I tipped over my wine glasses. Candace and I both burst out laughing and the waiter came over and kept asking again and again if we were okay. It was the perfect ending to dinner. Oh yeah, and their desserts there are AMAZING!!!

Once we left, we were onto our next adventure. The Movies! We had decided to see Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. Let me just tell you, I LOVED IT~! I have always been a fan of the Underworld movies, but this one made it to the top of the list. It was great to see how it all began. I have been home for a little over an hour now, and I am exhausted. I forget how it feels to go out without the kids. No responsibility for a couple of hours and I turn into a teenager all over!

Thanks Candace.......it was the perfect night with my sister!

Love ya!

Abigail's New Dirtbike!

2009-01-23T23:22:00.000-07:00

So Melvin and I finally caved and bought Abigail her first dirtbike! It is (of course) a Yamaha TT-R90, and she loves it! She has not been able to ride it yet since it has been so cold lately. But in the next couple of weeks we will be taking her out to Bacchus to test it out!

The funny part is that I am the one who is nervous, not her! Because we didn't have all the gear for her to ride it, both Ali and her now have brand new complete riding gear sets now! They are so adorable in them!!!!!!

Abigail in the South Valley Journal

2009-01-17T23:15:00.000-07:00

Abby was featured in the local paper!!!! So I just had to post it!

Montessori students donate to children in need

by Aimee Cook O’Brien

Front to back: Taylor Belmonte, Xavier Radford, and Abigail North hand out stockings for local school children to fill for those in need. (Photo courtesy of Amber Belmonte)

For the third year the students at Montessori in Riverton have participated in a special Christmas project, creating stockings for children who are affected by mental illness through the P.J.’s Forgotten Children Foundation.

P.J.’s Forgotten Children is a non profit organization, began in 1986. The term “forgotten” refers to children overlooked due to a family member’s mental illness. Often, Christmastime can be overly stressful for these families, especially if they can’t provide for their children. The foundation, which is run entirely by volunteers, works in partnership with Valley Mental health and requests are made through a family’s therapist and then referred to the Foundation. Many requests are simple basic needs.

“We will provide over 2,000 Christmas stockings this year,” said Kathy Pettey, president of P.J.’s Forgotten Children Foundation. “All of the students in the school helped to fill the stockings and they were done so well. They filled a special need for us. Less than one-third of our children’s orders were filled by the community, P.J.’s volunteers are working hard to fill the rest. “

The students at Montessori completed 108 Christmas stockings this year for the foundation. Middle school students volunteered to sew all the stockings out of donated fabric. In two days, the students completed the stockings stuffed with necessities such as toothbrushes and gloves to requested items such as watches, toys and candy, all donated by the community.

“Through the course of this project the middle school students learned about single moms who are homeless,” said Angie Parkin, volunteer publicity coordinator for Riverton Montessori. “They all want to help these moms out so we are looking at that being our next project-making baby baskets for P.J.’s.”

Hardware Ranch with the WITO women!

2009-01-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to be invited to spend the weekend at the Hardware Elk Ranch. Being a member of the NWTF Women In The Outdoors, we had the opportunity to spend the weekend in the Visitor Center of the Hardware Ranch.

It was a weekend of about 30 women, and we were there to scrapbook and also to feed the Elk each morning. I am not a big scrapper, but I thought it would be fun to just get away and relax for the weekend!

My mom came, and I also invited Candace and my friend Debbie to come. I was nervous when we first got there, because I didn't know most of the people who were attending. But it turned out to be a great weekend.

The elk were absolutely amazing to see, and the best part is that they were ALL wild elk. They somehow find their way back to this ranch every year for the winter, and then they leave on their own accord every spring. I just think that is astonishing that they remember year after year that they have a safe haven for the winter.

Since we were in the Visitor's Center, we were actually allowed to sleep next to all of the taxidermy, or should I say under it! LOL Candace was not having that. She said that it creeped her out, on the last night there, her and Debbie got a deer hoof and put it in my sleeping bag. They thought that they would be able to fool me, but I outwitted them! They forgot to put my sleeping bag back the way I had it, so their plan was ruined! (Too bad!)

Happy New Year Everyone!

2009-01-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

Well for New Years Eve, the girls stayed at their Grandma Teresa's house overnight. Melvin and I decided to go to Tsunami for dinner and since Candace was working, we invited Daniel to tag along with us.

We thought about going to First Night, but had heard that it was awful the year before....so we decided against it! Melvin hates sushi, but because it is my favorite, he gave in and let me go! Daniel had not been to Tsunami's before, so we ordered many different rolls to see what he liked the best. (Still my absolute favorite is and always will be the Jenny roll and the Seafood and Cucumber Salad!!!!) We left completely stuffed and headed home.

We were going riding the next day to Little Sahara, so once we got home, we loaded all the 4 wheelers, packed everything and by the time we were done, it was midnight! (Imagine that!!!) We walked outside to watch the fireworks and listen to the neighbors beat on pots and pans. Then off to bed we went!

The next morning I woke up to go and was sick as a dog. So I ended up staying home while they all went and played without me :( But it was good, because I really needed the rest! I slept almost all day.

I hope all of you had a wonderful New Years, and I hope all the best for you in 2009!

Christmas Dinner with the North's

2008-12-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

We had all of Melvin and Candace's family over for Christmas dinner this year. Candace made a ham again, but in a different sauce! (Thank goodness, or we would have all been "hammed out!")

It was a great time, we had a few minor complications that arose, but we worked through them wonderfully! The girls were sooo excited that everyone was there, and it was hard to keep them calm with all the company. They were such troopers though with this being our 4th party in two days!

I think that the girls got everything and anything that they wished for. (Except for the laptop that Ali was for sure she was going to get, and the horse that Abigail thought would fit in our backyard pond!)

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and best wishes for the New Year!

Christmas Brunch with the Mitchell's

2008-12-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

Again this year, we decided to do Christmas Brunch for all of the Mitchell's. It has become my favorite party during Christmas. Usually when most people have Christmas it's dinner, so I really like the change with having part of our family over for brunch. We wake up in the morning, do our immediate family Christmas, and then wait for the party to arrive!

We had everyone bring something different, and it worked out perfect. This year I made breakfast burritos for everyone, my mom made crab/spinach quiches, and Candace made the most delicious dessert that I have ever had. (I am serious when I say that!) I will post a picture of it! It looks horrible, but it was great and easy for everyone to just pull apart and eat!

We did a gift exchange with everyone, and everyone was thrilled with their gifts! (We did a good job on shopping this year!!!)

Since we are all so busy in our own lives, we hardly get to see each other anymore, so it was really nice to get together again!

Christmas Eve Family Party!

2008-12-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to do Christmas Eve Dinner at my house. It was the first year "EVER" that we have not had it at my Grandma Judy's house. I was really excited yet nervous about how it would turn out. Usually at my Grandma's house it is very formal and we get out the special place settings, have name cards at each place setting, etc. Well, at our house, not so much! We have a six person dining table, and I was happy with eating off of paper plates and plastic utensils. We have no problem with eating in the living room and so I was nervous about how my family would react to the different style.

Fortunately it worked out wonderful! The first hooray of the evening was when my Uncle Joel (who is ALWAYS at least 2 hours late) was the first to arrive! We were so excited, that we had to take a picture of this great milestone! Candace wanted to cook the ham (of course, she is the chef trainee you know!) and it turned out wonderful. It was demolished, and all that was left was the bone.

The rest of the night went perfectly! The men hung out in the garage messing with the 4-wheelers and the ammo reloading station. And us women and kids hung out in the house. We all decided that we were only going to buy for the kids this year, and I loved watching them open all of their presents.

I think out of everyone there, the dogs were the happiest! (They got sooo many scraps, that they didn't even eat their food!)

Thanksgiving at Grandma's!

2008-11-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

So this year was our year to spend Thanksgiving with my family. We went up to my Grandma Maedel's house. It is my favorite time to go up there. My grandma takes out all of her nice dishes/silverware and we all sit down to a formal setting. It reminds me so much of when we were younger and had ALL of the family together and had huge family dinners.

We ate like crazy and went home more stuffed than the turkey was!

Halloween with the "Switches!"

2008-10-31T18:49:00.000-06:00

We had a hectic Halloween this year. First Ali had to go in for her brain MRI testing. (All is well in that big head of hers!) Also, my uncle Jon had liver surgery the night before and it wasn't looking good for him, so we had to go up to the hospital. I took the girls with me, but I didn't want them staying around the hospital, so Candace came and picked them up for me. She was so wonderful with them, she took them out to lunch and went home and got them all dressed up for Halloween night for me. She did both of their make-up for them, and it turned out fantastic!

The girls were sooo excited for that night, and by the time I got home it was time to go Trick-or-Treating. We got their bags, put the dogs on their leashes and Melvin and I took them around the neighborhood. They looked so cute and you could definitely tell that they were sisters! Ali kept walking around telling everyone that they were "Switches" you know "sister-witches!" Half way through out circle, we met up with their Uncle Willis, Aunt Fawn, and cousin Addyson. The girls were just full of joy to see Addyson, and had to hold her hand and follow her everywhere!

The night went great as always and Daniel and Candace ran out of candy by the time we got back home. So, we turned off all the lights, and let the girls watch Halloween movies the rest of the night. It didn't take long since they were both exhausted from the long day!

We hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

WITO -- Camp Wapiti Trip

2008-08-31T21:01:00.000-06:00

I was so excited for months to go on this trip. It was going to be one of the best getaway excursions that I had had in a long time. When we signed up we were able to pick classes that we wanted to attend. There were over 30 classes to choose from, but we were only able to pick a few per day. We got to stay in Log Cabins and we ended up with just our group in ours. So it was me, Jamie (mom), Candace (sister-in-law), Miranda (friend), and Jo (friend). I was excited that our Cabin wasn't completely full or it would have been very crowded!

Candace talked me into "Rappelling" yikes! Then I chose dutch oven cooking, archery, fly fishing, fly tying, and muzzle loading.

My first class was Archery. I had never shot a bow before, so I was kind of nervous that I would be absolutely horrible. But both Candace and I were born experts on it! We kicked everyone's butt that was with us, and the instructors kept telling us that, "we had to have done this before."
We both agreed that when we got back home, the boys were in trouble because we found a new hobby, and that they couldn't join!

Then I was supposed to take Dutch Oven cooking, but the class instructor didn't show up, so I changed to fly tying. I didn't know what to expect, and was not that interested in it, but thought what the heck, the boys really like to fly fish, so maybe I could tie them a few flies!!!! (Well, I also liked it, but when I got home and realized how expensive it is to do, I changed my mind!!!!) During my class though, some of the other classes got out early. Candace met a new friend, and this girl ended up being called "snake girl." She was really good at finding rodents, snakes, etc. and liked to show them to others. Well, Candace called me outside and said that she wanted to show my something. Oh boy did I have it coming. The girl started walking towards me and at first I didn't realize that she had this snake. Well, once I realized what was on her arm, I freaked out.........I mean, sreaming, crying, hard time breathing, the whole nine yards. Jo, the camera freak that she is, video taped the whole thing. (I even think she put it on YouTube.) Candace ended up feeling like an ass, and was worried that my mom was going to kill her. But all ended well, I just stayed away from snake girl the rest of the weekend!

So those were my two Friday classes, and all in all it went very well! We went down and had dinner with the whole group (over 100 ladies I think). And then went off to bed ready for an even more exciting day on Saturday! The problem was the people "SNORE" and I am a light sleeper. It ended up turning into a laugh festival, because I kept yelling at my mom, and it wasn't her, and Miranda couldn't sleep for the life of her. Candace was passed out with iPod in her ears, and Jo was happily snoring away. I finally fell asleep well into the early morning, and then had to get up early for breakfast before rappelling.

So Rappelling was a roller coaster ride for me. First off I have such a snake phobia that it drives me crazy. (I won't even go camping down south because of all the snakes, that I may or may not see.) So we get out of the vans and we are right in the heart of snake territory. So my nerves were just a little shot......no a lot! Our instructor was great, and he was a good talker and got most of our nerves down to try it! We had to climb a VERY steep mountain to even get up to where we could rappel down. And I am not just talking about climbing a steep hill, we actually had to use a rope and pull ourselves up the mountain. Once we got to the top, he made us lean over the cliff as if we were sitting in a chair. I think I cussed the whole time. Candace said to me once she got down, "the girls were wondering if you had died because they couldn't hear you cussing anymore!" Well, lucky for me I made it down, and decided that it was a very exciting experience and that I would some day do it again!

Then I did Fly Fishing and Muzzleloading....I wasn't too fond of the muzzleloading, but I liked fly fishing. I ended up catching 6 fish and boy was Melvin not too happy about that. He said that I will have to go with him and have a competition!!! Hopefully I win with all my newfound skills!!!

The weekend was a blast, and I can't wait to do it again next August!!!!

Thanks WITO for putting on a great event!